Environmental Studies 110: Our Changing Planet



Environmental Studies 110: Our Changing Planet

Course Syllabus

Winter 2004

|Instructor Information |Office Hours |

|Instructor: Cynthia Collin |Th: 2-3 |

|Office: CC1-317 |MTW: 1-2 |

|Extension: 352-8214 |Or by appointment |

|E-mail: ccollin@cascadia.ctc.edu | |

Course Description:

In this class we will explore the way natural systems function, the way that humans influence natural systems, and solutions to environmental degradation. We will use current, local issues to examine environmental trends and issues including the status of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, introduction of wolves into Yellowstone, the consequences of clear cutting, global warming trends, and more.

A strong attempt will be made to show the relevance of these topics to your life and to help you to learn on your own once you leave this class. A variety of instructional methods will be used: traditional lecture, group work, research papers, discussions, and individual as well as group presentations.

Course Materials:

❖ Textbook: Environmental Science 8th edition, Nebel and Wright, Prentice Hall

Publishing.

❖ Access to the internet (course web site)

o

o Or access by going to Cascadia’s homepage, click on Student Resources, faculty and class webs, and then on my web site.

❖ 3 ringed notebook for lab packet, handouts, notes, etc.

❖ Folder to turn in portfolio of work.

❖ Optional: small pocket stapler for stapling assignments in class.

College Wide Learning Outcomes:

I view learning as a developmental process. Not only is it important to learn about the different ways to view the world, which is why you are supposed to take sciences, social sciences, and humanities courses in order to graduate, but it is also important to learn life skills, or abilities during your college career that will help you navigate your way through the complex world in which we find ourselves today. Cascadia Community College identifies four of these skills, or outcomes. They are the ability to:

o Communicate with clarity and originality

You will be practicing this skill during daily group work, during your seminar discussion, during assessment II and assessment III and in your seminar papers. I will have grading criteria for you to keep track of your progress.

o Think critically, creatively, and reflectively

You will be practicing this skill during your seminar writing, in your group work, and on your weekly worksheets.

o Learn Actively

You will be learning actively as you fill out your weekly worksheets, work in groups to develop concepts, take your assessments, research for your seminar papers, and work in the laboratory.

o Interact in Diverse and Complex Environments

You will be practicing this skill as you participate in the seminar discussions, in daily group work, and in the laboratory.

Environmental Science Learning Outcomes

In addition to practicing the above skills you will be learning about environmental science topics during this quarter. These topics will give us context by which to practice the above skills. Can you imagine trying to practice communicating without having anything to communicate about?? Also, in order to operate in the world after graduation, you need to be proficient in the major areas of study including the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is my job in this course to develop your natural science skills. The content learning outcomes for the course are:

o Analyze the basic structure of a natural ecosystem and the influences of human practices on that structure

o Actively seek out, process, and analyze environmental information by reading the textbook, popular and scientific publications.

o Analyze and discuss scientific information to construct an informed position about humans effect on global sustainability

o Students will examine multiple perspectives on environmental topics by collaborating in the research process and discussing findings

o Engage in community to experience possible solutions to posed problems

Instructor and Student Responsibilities

You should expect your instructor will attend class each day, will come to class on time each day, treat you with respect, spend time out of class preparing, listen with flexibility, respect and full attention, prepare quality group work assignments, prepare quality laboratory experiences, prepare quality handouts and exams, evaluate your work fairly, be available for help, feedback and advice, and foster a classroom atmosphere where opinions and life experiences can be shared. In other words, you should expect that your instructor is working on achieving level three in the above skills and working on setting up situations in which you will be able to achieve the course learning objectives.

You should also expect the above from yourself and your peers. When one member of the learning community of the classroom enters without respect and responsibility for the above the learning process begins to break down for everyone involved. This is especially important in group-work assignments, but is equally important is every aspect of your work if you are truly learning from the time you are spending here this quarter.

Grading:

Portfolio’s

Worksheets (9 x 5 points each) 10% of grade

Group work (2 x 10 points per port) 5% of grade

Seminar (2 graded x 25) 10% of grade

Worksheet quizzes (9 x 3 points (drop 1) 5% of grade

Labs 10% of grade

Wetland water lab (25 points)

Water pollution lab (25 points)

Written Assessments 50% of grade

3 written x 80 points each

Discussion Assessments 10% of grade

1st discussion grade (20 points)

______2nd discussion grade (30 points)_______________________

Total 480 points

The following curve will be used to establish grades:

Percent earned |Decimal Grade | |Percent earned |Decimal Grade | |Percent Earned |Decimal Grade | |93-100 % |4.0 | |80-82 % |3.0 | |67-69 % |1.5 | |90-92 |3.7 | |77-79 % |2.5 | |63-66 % |1.3 | |87-89 % |3.5 | |73-76 % |2.3 | |60-62 % |1.0 | |83-86 % |3.3 | |70-72 % |2.0 | |57-59 % |.5 | |

General Course Schedule:

The class will follow a pattern of receiving a worksheet, completing the worksheet as homework, taking a quiz on the worksheet, listening to lecture material on the worksheet, participating in group work that explores worksheet content, and writing short and long written responses to local, current environmental topics. In addition, you will engage in lab experiences and assessments that will be explained in class. There will not be any exams in this class. Instead there are what I am calling assessments. You will have to perform during these assessments as this is how I will measure whether or not you understand and can apply the material that you are learning.

You will find worksheets and seminar directions posted on the web site. See the schedule for a more detailed view.

The major assignments for the quarter:

Worksheets:

Worksheets due dates can be seen on the schedule. You will find them posted on the course web site. The worksheets will consist of questions that pertain to the chapter(s) that will be covered during the following days. The questions will be asked in such a manner as to encourage you to read the chapters in the book and get a general understanding of some of the key points that will be covered in class during that week. The instructor will come around and initial your worksheet if it is complete. It will be turned in with your portfolio two times during the quarter. If you haven’t completed the worksheet on time you will lose 5 points on your portfolio score. If you don’t do it at all by the time you turn in your portfolio you will lose 10 points on your score. But more importantly, if your worksheet is not complete at the beginning of the week, you will be lost probably for the entire week – which means you will lose points on more than just the worksheet. After hearing the lecture and participating in some preliminary group work on the worksheet, you should go back to your original work and make corrections to it, demonstrating growth and what you have learned by participating in the group process.

Seminar:

The theme of the discussion can be seen in the schedule. Specifics for what to include in the papers you turn in can be found in the seminar packet, which is posted on the web site. You will do research/reading and writing before you come to the seminar and hold an open discussion with your peers on the seminar topic. The writing will also be part of your portfolio that you turn in three times this quarter. The same point losses apply for the seminar as for the worksheets.

Portfolio:

0. A Portfolio is file folder containing a collection of “Stamped Assignments” that you complete during the quarter. Portfolios will be collected three times this quarter. You can see the due dates in the schedule.

1. “Stamped Assignments” consist of completed worksheets , group work assignments and seminar assignments. Stamped means that you have my initials because your assignment was done on time and complete.

2. Your instructor will only stamp an assignment when it is due and shows a conscientious effort to be completed (i.e. Questions are answered fully, work is neat, pages are in the correct order, and a professional effort is evident)

3. If you are not in class, late, or absent, your assignment will not get stamped. However—Contact the instructor ahead of due dates if you are unable to attend class due to poor health or other emergency circumstances.

4. After each portfolio is returned to you, remove the assignments from your portfolio folder to make room for the stamped assignments for the next collection date.

Portfolio Grading Criteria

Worksheets

o Work is complete and shows a conscientious effort to engage in quality work. Work has correct answers at time of submission as evidenced by a spot check for content. (5 points/worksheet)

Seminar (random sampling)

o Random sampling of work demonstrates that student has met the grading criteria for assignments. (25 points/graded seminar)

Group Work

o Work is complete and shows a conscientious effort to engage in quality work. (10 points per portfolio). There should be one group work assignment per worksheet.

Penalty Points:

o If any worksheet is missing 5 points will be deducted from the overall score. If it has not been initialed, meaning you did it, but late 2.5 points will be deducted from your score.

o If any seminar is missing 25 points will be deducted from your overall score. If it is present, without initials, 10 points will be deducted from your overall score.

Assessments:

Assessment activities will occur in place of tests in this class. You will have to perform in a way that demonstrates that you have learned the content of the previous weeks materials. More information will be given during class.

Labs:

You will be receiving specific instructions and grading criteria for all labs as the quarter progresses.

Policies:

Academic Integrity:

Intellectual honesty, an important value in education, requires that you take credit for your work and give that same credit to others for their ideas and words. This means that you must accurately incorporate the ideas of others into your writing and discussions and document your sources.

You must not use the work of anyone else – another student, a professional writer or researcher – as though it were your own as you participate in discussions, write papers, or take quizzes. If you violate this value of academic integrity by plagiarizing or cheating, you will fail the assignment. In serious or repeated cases, you may fail the entire course. If you have questions about using sources, be sure to ask for help.

Format for Seminar Assignments:

All seminar assignments will be computer generated for my ease in reading them and for your ease in editing them to improve your answer and hopefully your grade. This excludes pictures or graphs that you may be required to draw.

Late Work:

No late work will be accepted for worksheet quizzes or graded discussions even if you have a verified emergency. If you do have a verified emergency and miss one of these assignments we can talk about whether or not you will receive a 0 for the assignment, but you can not make it up.

Lecture exams can only be taken late if you notify your instructor before hand and in the case of a verified emergency.

Portfolios and labs can be turned in late if there is a verified emergency at the cost of 10% per weekday.

Professional Conduct:

Your instructor will work hard to make this a course from which you can learn much and develop important skills. Suggestions are welcome from you at anytime about things you think could be done to improve the course. In return, I ask that you arrive at lab and lecture on time and stay until class is over without making unnecessary noise that could distract your classmates. In short, I promise to respect you as students and as individuals, and ask that you return that respect to your instructor and to your classmates.

I want you to learn and to do well in the course, but academic dishonesty will not tolerated. If you find yourself in trouble or if you are aware of academic dishonesty occurring, please talk to the instructor. Personal crises do happen. If you are having difficulties that are interfering with your ability to do well in the class, please tell the instructor as soon as possible. We may be able to refer you to someone for help or to make special arrangements if the need is real and if you have done your best to deal with the situation in a timely manner.

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